However, he has apparently had a change of heart in recent years. At CPAC earlier this year, in an interview with Sean Hannity, he stated that Colorado’s legalization of marijuana was “bad,” saying that he “feel[s] strongly about that,” and that Colorado has “got a lot of problems going on right now.” He did concede however, that he is in favor of medical marijuana.

In 1999, Trump called for a one-time 14.25% tax on individuals and trusts of over $10 million in order to pay off the national debt. Trump’s rhetoric at the time was eerily similar to that of the Occupy movement, as he stated that, “By my calculations, 1 percent of Americans, who control 90 percent of the wealth in this country, would be affected by my plan. The other 99 percent of the people would get deep reductions in their federal income taxes.” In 2000, he indicated that he was opposed to a flat tax.

In 2011, he indicated support for the Bush Tax Cuts, stating that President Obama would be “taking away a lot of incentives from a lot of people that produce a lot of taxes” if he were to allow them to expire. A few months later, he proposed a four-bracket tax system which contained rates of 1%, 5%, 10% and 15% and eliminated the corporate income and estate taxes. Needless to say, this is a marked shift from his prior position.

In 2000, Trump indicated that while he “generally oppose[d]” gun control, he was in favor of bans on assault weapons, waiting periods and background checks. He also criticized Republicans on the topic, as he stated that they “walk the NRA line and refuse even limited restrictions.”

Now, Trump states that he is staunchly against gun control, that “the Second Amendment is right, not a privilege,” and that he “do[es] not support expanding background checks.”

In 1999 and 2000, Trump expressed a staunch desire for the US to adopt universal healthcare. Trump stated, “If you can’t take care of your sick in the country, forget it, it’s all over. . .So I’m very liberal when it comes to health care. . .I believe in universal health care. I believe in whatever it takes to make people well and better.” Trump continued on to say, “I think it is. . .an entitlement to this country, and too bad the world can’t be, you know, in this country. But the fact is, it’s an entitlement to this country if we’re going to have a great country.”

It is unclear what Trump’s current plan is, but he has made his staunch opposition to ObamaCare well-known. He has suggested a market approach, saying in 2011 that, “Even if we elect a real president who will get tough and repeal Obamacare, we still need a plan to bring down health-care costs and make health-care insurance more affordable for everyone. It starts with increasing competition between insurance companies. Competition makes everything better and more affordable.”

In 2000, Trump favored privatization of Social Security, stating that, “Privatization would be good for all of us. Directing Social Security funds into personal accounts invested in real assets would swell national savings, pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into jobs and the economy. These investments would boost national investment, productivity, wages, and future economic growth.”

In 2011, Trump spoke out against any modifications of Social Security, saying that “We as a society must also make an ironclad commitment to providing a safety net for those who can’t make one for themselves. Social Security is here to stay. To be sure, we must reform it, root out the fraud, make it more efficient, and ensure that the program is solvent.”

Trump has a long history with Hillary Clinton, donating to her campaigns in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2007, as well as donating a six-digit sum to the Clinton Foundation. Clinton even attended Trump’s 2005 wedding, and Trump once called her a “fantastic Senator.” He had similar praise for Jeb Bush in 2000, saying “He’s exactly the kind of political leader this country needs now and will very much need in the future. . .He’s bright, tough, and principled. I like the Bush family very much. I believe we could get another president from the Bushes. He may be the one.”

Today, Trump calls Hillary Clinton “the worst Secretary of State in the history of our nation” and says that she would be “a terrible president.” On Jeb Bush, he referred to him as “pathetic” for his support of Common Core, and said that his immigration policy is “baby stuff.” He has also said that in regards to Bush facing Clinton, “Jeb Bush will never take us to the promised land. . .No matter what you do, it’s not going to happen.”

Unyielding myopic Trump supporters simply do not want to spoil great rhetoric by checking track records.

One thing right off the bat: I’m not a big Trump supporter, but I understand why he’s got such a large following. He strikes a chord with Americans who are completely fed up with the bullshit and in-your-face corruption in D.C.

All the controversy over Donald Trump has really got the rank and file GOP’s panties in a wad.

The Republican establishment would do itself and its supporters a favor if it went through a major overhaul.

There’s a reason why groups like the Tea Party were created and gained influence and momentum.

Bottom line: The GOP helped create Trump by treating their constituents like shit.

We gave them a majority in the House after the 2014 mid-term elections, and nothing has changed.

We elected them to stop Obama and the DemProgs in their tracks. They turned out to be chickenshits unwilling to take the risks necessary to accomplish that. They’re so afraid of being called “racist”, “mean”, “uncaring”, and a variety of other leftwingnut pejoratives, that they quake at the mere thought of fighting to get this country back.

The GOP also abandoned the principles in the United States Constitution of limited government and fiscal restraint. John Boehner, whom I’m ashamed to admit is from my home state of Ohio, is a shameful pussy. His collusion with Dems helped increase the debt by $3,8 trillion in 3 years. He was an epic fail as Speaker of the House.

We’re fed up with RINOs,illegal alien panderers, and business as usual bureaucrats who fail to back up their avowed commitments, opting instead to make excuses for their failure.

It’s not just the pious RINOs who bad mouth angry constituents. The arrogant bastards in the conservative media, who should know better, have jumped on the bandwagon.

Instead of embracing the concepts of Trump’s stance on illegal aliens, the economy, and foreign policy, they trash him and the people who support those basic common sense principles.

Note to the GOP, the conservative media, and pundits: If you want to unify the base and get this country back on the Constitutional track, you’re going about it the wrong fucking way.

We need to purge our ranks of dead weight and boot them them across the aisle. Excommunicate them from the GOP. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chris Christie (R-NJ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), John McCain (R-AZ), John Kasich (R-OH) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are just some of the slugs who fit that category.

Ted Cruz isn’t perfect, but his record leaves no doubt about his conservative Republican principles. He seems to be the only Republican left with guts. Cruz’s voting record and individual actions reinforce his values and commitment to the precepts in the U.S. Constitution. His strength of character is something that the GOP hierarchy could never measure up to.